Preparation Notes

Workshop 5:

Transnational & Global Communities

Findings

Introduction

As the new information technology are integrating the world in global network of instrumentality. Computer mediated-communication has caused the rapid emerges of virtual communities. The 90s distinctive social and political trends are the construction of social actions and politics around primary identities, such as rooted in history and geography, or newly built in search of meaning and spirituality. Hence, it has created the emergence of transnational communities and global communities to occur within the virtual world.
 

Transnational Communities

Transnational communities are communities that span across national borders. Currently, it has created a popularized variety of new economics relationship the rise of these transnational communities are caused by the social and economic forces unleashed by contemporary capitalism. And, many of the same ones allow corporations to move manufacturing plants from one country to another.

The growing importance of transnational communities has promoted improvement in communications, transportation, and also encourage free trade laws. However, these are labor's analog to the multinational corporation, their assets consist chiefly of shared information, trust, and contacts. As the members of these communities travel back and forth, they carry cultural and political currents in both directions. As a result, their emergences has complicated the issues of global trade, immigration, and also national identity.

For example, some transnational communities that are illegal workers in a certain country might turn into the relative country citizen through various channels, such as getting married to a local. In addition, as the transnational communities grows in a particular country, groups and associations could be formed within themselves, hence, political and society problems would occur resulting conflict to happened between local communities and transnational communities.

Global Communities

Global communities as identified by its name are communities that consist members from all over the world. Most of these communities are formed for same objectives and sharing interest, information and contacts within each other. However, being able to communicate with people around the world, there are few issues that needs to be considered, for instance, language, culture, time zone, and infrastructure problems.

Language

Language is always the most concern problem for global communities to get together. Even though English has the official status as the international language, which claim itself as the most conversable language throughout the world. Thus, there are still a large number of people that does not know how to converse in English. Therefore, it is important to have various different language of website to serve all the people in the world. However, this is merely impossible as different language express different words differently. For example, some words might have many different kinds of meanings. As a result, the best way is to stick to using the most common language that is shared among the world.

Culture

Culture of people differ from people to people as people from different places have different beliefs and customs. For that reason, it is best to know the culture of the people before you communicate with them, especially in global virtual team when you have to work with them. By knowing your workmates culture, good working environment can be created among yourselves to produce best work results.

Time Zone

Time zone barrier is something that could not be solve unless there are sacrifices made between communicating parties, or communication is done asynchronously. Although real time communication tools are the most powerful feature for virtual communities usage, its status is nearly worthless for people communicating with wide time zone difference.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure play an essential role in connecting people around the world. Places where there is no proper infrastructure establish, it is impossible to connect a linkage with them. Hence, in order for global communities to reach out to these places with no proper infrastructure for communication connection, these places has to build proper infrastructure tools to keep up with the world, and link with the world.

Issues

 

The issues that raised from the above research on transnational communities and global communities are stated below:-

• What is the major differences between transnational communities and global communities?

• Does the emergence of transnational communities benefit the global economies? If yes, how?

• Will the controversy problem that occur from transnational communities be ratify in years to come?

• Is there any other better solution to solve the language problem?

• Will English still be able to secure its status as international language? Or will other language, such as Mandarin take over English position in years to come?

• How are will the future of the transnational communities and global communities be?

 

References

 

	Quality	Title & Author
	*****	Jihad vs. McWorld - Benjamin R. Barber
	****	Ethnicity in a Globalizing World: Borders, Boundaries, and Virtual Communities - Victor Da Rosa, Gerald L. Gold & Paul Lamy
	****	Global Villagers: The Rise of Transnational Communities - Alejandro Portes
	***	Communication and Trust in Global Virtual Teams - Sirkka L. Jarvenpaa, Dorothy E. Leidner
	***	Globalization and the Internetworked World - Martin Irvine
	***	The Cover Bazaar  on the Internet: Culturally Specific Alternatives to "Web Marts" - Fay Sudweeks & Simeon J. Simoff
	**	Cyberculture: An Annotated Bibliography - David Silver

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